Commenting on a commemorative medal he received from Russian President Vladimir Putin during the central ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the victory over fascism, the Croatian head of state said that he believed he was decorated for his contribution to anti-fascism.
"As I believe that anti-fascism is the brightest achievement of those who stopped fascism which was the biggest crime in the history of humanity, they probably recognised the position I promote. I am against revising the Second World War and distorting the history," Mesic said.
"All who were decorated in (Moscow), took part in WWII in some way on the winers' side," the 71-year-old Croatian president said adding that he could not be decorated for this as he was a boy who as a refugee escaped from the Germans.
Putin presented the medals to world leaders who actively took part in World War Two at a reception after a military parade commemorating WWII victory. The other recipients were Romanian King Michael I, Albanian President Alfred Moisiu, Greek President Karolos Papoulias, and former presidents Glafcos Clerides of Cyprus and Wojciech Jaruzelski of Poland.
During his stay in Moscow, Mesic held meetings with Putin, UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, and Presidents Heinz Fischer of Austria, Janez Drnovsek of Slovenia, Svetozar Marovic of Serbia-Montenegro, Alfred Moisiu of Albania, Vaclav Klaus of The Czech Republic, Ivan Gasparovic of Slovakia, Traian Basescu of Romania, Georgi Parvanov of Bulgaria, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, as well as Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and UNESCO Secretary-General Koichiro Matsuura.
Asked to comment on his decision to amnesty a Croatian Serb, convicted of war crimes against civilians in 1996, Mesic briefly answered that "the institute of amnesty would not exist if all those convicted would have to remain in prison until they serve their term". The institute of amnesty serves so as to amnesty a person for certain circumstances that appear after the sentence is given, he added.
According to Monday's Vjesnik daily, following proposals of the amnesty commission Mesic last week reduced by one year the 20-year sentence which war criminal Nikola Dragusin is serving for crimes he committed against civilians in western Slavonia.